Angel's Kiss
by Freyia
Summary: A devil's characteristics clashes with an angel's upon a mission. Initially it was meant to be only a simple task for the devil, not till a fatal mistake was made that caused a huge uproar between the borders of heaven and hell. NanoFate AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

**Important Assignment**

The devil's wide eyes glistened with ecstasy. She leaned back on the cushions soothingly, feeling the touch of its genuine soft silk against her bare skin as her fingers curled around the delicate wineglass. The tall crimson painted walls bordered her huge bedroom, enclosing her in the world of her own. A glance out of the ceiling-raised windows and she could see the magnificent sight of a vast serene ocean against the dark, gloomy night sky.

With a snap of her fingers, the large curtains drew in and blocked her out from that marvelous scenery. The blood-red fabrics of the curtains gradually dissipated into thin air, revealing a massive wall with a colossal portrait of a beautiful lady hung in the middle. In the picture, the lady had gorgeous eyelashes and snow-white skin. Her blond hair flowed down past her shoulders, enchantingly silky and smooth-like. She was dressed in a white angelic gown which revealed the perfect curves of her slender body, and in both hands she was holding onto a bouquet of red roses.

The devil stifled a yawn, enjoying her moment of peace as she took a sip of her wine. Her grip around the fragile wineglass tightened and it splintered into a million shards when there came a gentle knock on the door, interrupting the tranquil silence she was having. There was a glint of anger in her eyes as she stared down at the glass fragments irritably. Immediately the pieces of glasses fixed itself back together like a jigsaw puzzle and the wine that was soaking her bed sheets dried up instantly.

"Come in" she demanded in an irate tone. Behind the door she could see the figure clearly and perfectly. As the girl entered her bedroom, shivering in fright, she sank to the floor on her knees and took a bow.

"The Lord wants to see you, my lady" she told her in a shaky voice, not daring to look up. Her face was a pale color and locks of her pink hair fell onto her face. She quivered in anxiety as she heard the approaching footsteps of the devil.

"You're my new servant?" the devil asked softly, her voice icy yet filled with slight sugar.

The girl nodded immediately, afraid that the devil would be offended if she was too slow in responding. She nearly flinched when she felt the fingers of the devil rest on her chin. The devil felt cold like ice.

"Devils are like humans too, they feel of warmth. You look like you've been scared out of your wits" the devil told her gently as she surveyed her every feature.

The devil can read my mind? The servant gasped in bewilderment but the next thing she knew, the devil lifted her chin and her gloomy, burgundy eyes bored into hers.

"Not all devils can read people's mind" the devil said dryly and her charming gaze sent the girl's hair standing at its ends. She looks absolutely amazing and gorgeous, the servant thought to herself silently. Her heart pounded faster with dread when she remembered the devil knew what she was thinking. She could feel the icy breath of the devil against her face and she wouldn't dare move an inch.

The lips of the devil curled into a smile and she moved away from her. The servant remained kneeling down on the floor, her eyes shut as she could feel the devil drift out of the bedroom. Her heart was pounding miles per second and perspiration was starting to form around her forehead. She bit her lower lip, clenching her fists tightly, still recovering from the millisecond of shock she had just suffered. The devil was so close to her just now, she nearly took away her breath as well.

"Tidy up the room." She heard the devil say, turning her back to her. Instantly she scrambled up on her feet and scurried over to the tray of cleaning equipments outside the room. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the devil whirl around, casting a wary glance at her.

"What's your name by the way, my dear?"

"Ca...Caro" the servant said softly.

The devil arched an eyebrow, "Caro. The name fits for a pretty girl like you."

A cold perspiration bead trickled down Caro's forehead. "Thank you, my lady," she said softly, blushing lightly as the devil disappeared out of sight. Wiping the perspiration off her forehead, Caro pushed the tray into the devil's bedroom cautiously. Her mouth formed an 'o' shape upon seeing the devil's huge bedroom. It was the first time she had been assigned to such a reputable devil in hell. She was awed at the portrait in front of her.

"So this is the room of the legendary devil" Caro mumbled to herself, blushing at the beautiful lady in the portrait.

The devil was now standing in front of the double-doors guarded by two ferocious-looking demons. It was convenient and easy orbing around this majestic palace to her. After all, she was well known in this palace for her supreme power and strength. Other than these, her beauty enthralled the hearts of many men. She was highly respected by the others and held a superior position among the rest of the devils living in the palace. No-one dared to defy her or challenge her powers for they knew of her nasty temper.

She was quick in gaining immortality in the palace due to her intelligence and slyness. The Lord placed complete trust in her and assigned her to different tasks. There had been so many to deal with in the past, providing her with experiences and causing her to become stronger after each fall she made. Now she was in full control. From a five-year-old puny and weak child, she grew up in the care of the Lord till she became an almost perfect and stunning lady.

She knocked on the door steadily and it swung open by itself, revealing a long-stretched carpet across the long and gigantic hall. She walked down the room, her long silky white dress sweeping past the carpet from behind. The room was dark and cold, she barely saw anything but a shade of black. She snapped her fingers and at once the chandeliers above lit up like magic.

The Lord was sitting on a leather chair, his back facing her. With a wave of hand and the chandelier lights went off only to be replaced by the luminous fire sizzling in the hearth. The chair wheeled around and against the glowing red fire, the Lord showed his handsome young and flawless face which was partially shadowed. A smirk found its way up his face.

"I have an important assignment for you, Fate"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

**Before Departure**

The legendary devil was only a young and beautiful lady, yet despite her near flawless and delicate features, she was one not to be trifled with. In hell, the place of her birth, she had lived to be nurtured as a cold, heartless and defensive lady whom no-one could reach out to. Only would the Lord be able to command her as and when he wished or contemplate into perishing her at the tip of his finger and rid her from the world. It was like a place of torture and angst. But at the same time, it was like her habitat. Her world consisted of only the dark side.

She stood a few feet away from the Lord, her eyes gazing calmly towards his direction. As soon as a cushioned chair appeared behind her, she lay back on the seat and crossed her legs graciously. A wine glass emerged within her grasp and she waited patiently for his speech to begin.

"You've definitely changed. You're such a perfect lady, any man will fall on his knees and be at your beck and call." The Lord told her with a smile. "Which is why you're here today for an important task."

"Go on" Fate said stiffly, taking a small sip of her wine. "I'm not here to waste my time."

"You're getting braver, aren't you?" the Lord smirked. "Fancy talking to me in that kind of speech."

He clasped his hands together, surveying her every feature. He was the one who made her. He created her from the reign of fire. Her soul was in his hands and she was not in the decision to live or die. As she chucked him a look of ignorance, he further stated, "Your task won't be that easy this time round. A crystal is being highly guarded and protected by someone in heaven. But with that precious gem in my hands, I'll gain supreme strength and power. Even heaven will be in chaos then."

"So you mean to say?" Fate arched an eyebrow. The answer to her question was obvious.

"Your job is to steal that gem for me and escape alive without any harm." He said and paused, as though attempting to emphasize his next words, "however, once you fail the mission, I do not promise even your mortality on Earth."

"Understandable." Fate was fully confident of her new assignment. In fact, she had been to that place before. Heaven. She had been trained to hide her identity from others and act like a completely different person. With her acting skills, she could even lie her way through an immortal with the utmost rank. It was also undeniable that the beauty she possessed had enthralled many men or women's hearts and assisted her in luring and controlling them. She was determined of her new task regardless of the level of difficulty. The higher the challenge, the more it deepened her interest towards it.

"It may sound easy to you, but the thing is, the person you're going to steal from may not be easily fooled or lured." The Lord reminded. "She's just like you, hard to be trifled with. That's why she was given the responsibility to keep and protect the crystal."

"Then the more I'll try to snatch it away from her." Fate held no patience for suspense. "So who's my target, in precise?"

"An angel." The Lord leaned back on his chair comfortably, eye-ing her with fascination. "It's going to be a tough mission. By all means, use the portal device to reach me and ask for assistance."

Fate touched the cold, tiny purple jewel that was resting on her nape. The Lord had given her the necklace as a gift to half-freedom. She could transport anywhere she wanted that was not within the boundary of the palace in her own will. She could even visit modern earth and mix in with the mortal population, or make a trip to heaven.

"I suppose you've the right skills to keep yourself guarded by the time you reach heaven," the Lord said and stood up, walking slowly towards her. Gently, his hand reached out for her forehead and she closed her eyes in ease. When his palm rested on her forehead, she could feel soothing warmth rushing down through her entire body. As soon as he withdrew his hand, the feeling was gone in an instant. "You'll have wings and a halo by the time you're in heaven. And the dark aura around you will be gone for temporary as well."

"That's great." Fate mumbled faintly in slight sarcasm and arose from her seat. "So are there any other further precautions for me to take note of?" She was feeling any readier to leave this room.

"Just make sure you don't make a mistake in the mission." The Lord told her warningly. "Fail and you may not stand a chance to live."

His voice was such a threatening whisper, it could give her doubts on accomplishing the assignment.

*

"You're back, my lady" Caro immediately dropped to her knees as she took a respectful bow. "The room has been tidied up and cleaned. Everything is in order now."

"Good. You may rise." Deliriously, Fate made her way towards the dresser as she plopped down lazily on the chair, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. She looked sullen. Tonight, she would start on her task. Nonetheless, she was going to accomplish it without fail, and effortlessly. Thoughts of going to the heaven were swirling in her mind and she was prompted with questions. To admit, she hadn't been there for quite some time and her impression of that place was vague. She only knew, for one thing, that heaven was a bright place unlike her own. Yet, she would not define it as paradise.

"You look just as pretty as you are in the portrait" Caro said half-timidly as she quietly confronted Fate from behind. She peered at the devil's reflection in the mirror, awing at her flawless face. Nervously, she took a comb from the dresser and reached out for the devil's hair, but stopped an inch away from it as she bit her lower lip, as though frightened to touch it.

"Can I help to comb your hair, my lady?"

Fate nodded, her response least expectant to Caro. _She actually allows me to touch her hair! _The servant was ecstatic at once. But she was caught unaware that Fate could read her mind.

"I don't let anyone else touch a strand of my hair. Except for my personal servants" Fate told her.

"Yes, my lady. It's a pleasure to be able to at your service," Caro said softly, upon realization that her mind had been read. Gingerly, she pressed the comb against Fate's straight blond hair and gently slid it down like it was brushing strands of silk. She nearly flinched when the devil edged a little in her chair. How could she not be afraid when Fate actually possessed such ultimate power? Anyone at the sight of her would cower.

"You don't have to fear me" Fate explained stiffly. "I do not mistreat little girls like you."

"I am sorry" Caro apologized, blushing at the fact that her thoughts had been read again. Her hands were turning shaky now.

"Were you born and created in the reign of fire?" Fate inquired.

Caro nodded. "I was born without parents. A lady at the housekeeping section adopted me and raised me."

Such innocent soul. Fate looked at the mirror reflection in pity. Would Caro be trained to become defensive and heartless like her too? Her purity of innocence would then be gone forever as well. But it was the only way to survive and stand up for oneself. If the Lord didn't trust her potential and nurture her, she would have ended up somewhere else in the hands of destruction. She hated all the men. They were disgusting species to her and in the dark era itself, many girls had been tainted by them in order for a new generation to carry on. Yet some had been abused unreasonably. Fate stared at Caro's reflection. Was she going to become one of those victims?

The servant's cheerfulness and smile could only make Fate gain sympathy for her. She was too young to know what's in store for her in future.

"I will be away for some time." Fate reminded. "Maintain my room and keep it clean."

"Yes, my lady" Caro said in obedience. "Where will you be going to?" She nearly regretted asking. It was too disrespectful for a lowly-ranked girl like her to ask such direct question to the devil.

"I'll be going to the heaven for a mission of mine." Fate answered. She paused for a second. "That's a secret between you and me."

"A secret?" Caro stared at her in surprise.

Fate nodded. "Yes. It is a secret. Nobody except for me, you and the Lord knows."

The servant was astonished. Why would the devil tell her something so confidential? She was completely lost for words. It felt like she had been entrusted something important to keep confidential and make no word of it, and it was a heavy burden to her. And it was actually a secret mission commanded by the Lord!

"Don't worry. Nobody will know." Fate took Caro's hand. In a split second, the emotionally heavy burden Caro was carrying had been lifted like magic. Even thoughts of it were dismissed. "Now nobody can know of that secret kept in your mind."

A smile crept its way up Caro's face. "Thank you, my lady" she said gratefully. "I will wait for you to come back. And I'll promise to keep the room clean and tidy..."

"Will you pick a dress for me?" Fate requested warmly, cutting in. "I do not want to appear as the odd one in heaven in my black clothes."

Caro, blushing, nodded. Never in her life did she imagine herself having a conversation with the devil. She would definitely pick the best dress for her and give her a wonderful makeover.

And perhaps make her look like an angel too.

**A/N:**

Hmm I didn't even notice I'd typed brown for Fate's eyes description. Thanks for informing me.

This story is nearing to completion, however I think most of the characters are a bit oc-ish. I hope you guys don't mind. I, myself have only seen a few episodes of the anime therefore I haven't quite catch the whole perspective of their characters. I only started writing a NanoFate story, simply because I was inspired by this pairing in all those fabulous stories I'd read. Along with some crazy idea popping up, I might as well put them in a story ^^

BPHaru: This is actually my first story so I welcome any comments and criticisms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**Embarking Destination**

"My lady, it certainly looks splendid on you!"

Her fingers ran down the soft silk of her snow-white dress. Caro could only stare at the devil in amaze, both mesmerized and enthralled by her at the same time. She was utterly captivated by the devil. So much that she could find no words to describe her beauty. It was, in fact, beyond words for description.

But Fate would never realize how dazzling she was that night, as she stood in front of the mirror, seeing only another gloomy young lady staring back at her. Her eyes conveyed no warmth at all despite her angelic features. She was cold like steel, hard to reach out for.

Fate sat down in front of the dresser and beckoned Caro over. There was something special about the servant that attracted her. Besides her pure and innocent soul, she appeared vulnerable. That defenseless look on Caro's face was what made Fate pay extra attention to her. Before Caro, her previous personal servants were older, more protective and guarded of themselves. Caro was different.

Maybe Fate just didn't want Caro to remain this vulnerable. Yet at the same time, she felt it was a pity to see that angelic and innocent soul of hers tainted by evil. In the palace, everyone was taught to be ruthless and wicked. They were trained at different ages, depending on their adopters' decisions. Perhaps Caro hadn't embarked on the first stage to reality in the devils' habitat.

Fate stretched out her hand and reached out for Caro's face, cupping her cheek gently. She was grateful to have the servant as her companion tonight before leaving for her mission. But even though she knew she would be back soon, she felt as though it would be a long time before she actually returns to the palace.

Her eyes widened in shocking dawn as she could see that her fingernails were beginning to sink into Caro's cheek. She withdrew her hand immediately, realizing that her fingernails were now sharp claw-like dripping with dark, thick blood. She frowned apologetically at Caro, who was now taken aback by the apparent incident. There were now livid cuts on Caro's face as blood began oozing out of the fresh open wounds. She could only stare at Fate in petrify, beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

"My lady" her voice was shaky as she fixed her eyes at the devil's sharp, bloody fingernails. It was like magic to her eyes as the claws slowly shrunk back to their usual state of fingernails.

Fate didn't know how she was supposed to calm the little girl down. It couldn't be helped if her fingernails sunk into her skin. But she herself was partly at fault. She should have remembered that a devil like her wouldn't be able to control how her nails grow long and sink into anyone's flesh if her body contact between that person was close. It came natural and subconsciously for a devil to crave for blood and gain strength from it. After all, she grew up in a vicious environment.

"It's okay." Fate explained with a tinge of affection in her voice. "I didn't mean to harm you. They just grew out of their own will. Devils have cravings for blood, but they can control themselves."

"The servant doesn't blame my lady!" Caro knelt down wobbly against the carpeted floor and took a nervous bow, face pale from shock. Caro knows the lady doesn't mean to hurt her so she does not blame my lady!

Fate burrowed her eyebrows in exasperation as she frowned at her response. "I do not mean that. If you're going to carry on kneeling, I will have to ask your guardian to change your position as my personal servant."

Instantly the servant got up on her feet, her heart thumping miles per second. She was frightened of offending the devil.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I've told you." Fate proceeded towards Caro, her hand reaching out for the cuts on her face. As her hand neared inches away from Caro's cheek, Caro flinched abruptly and nearly fell backwards.

"Don't move." Fate ordered authoritatively, causing Caro's heart to beat faster upon that command.

Caro squeezed her eyes shut, embracing for whatever was going to happen to her. The next thing she knew, the servant could feel a warm tingling-like sensation on her cheek. She hadn't realized that her cuts were completely healed not until after Fate had turned her towards the mirror. She gasped in surprise, amazed at the devil's power to heal. At once, she felt like a huge rock had been lifted off her chest. So the devil had only meant to recover her wounds.

As her eyes met the devil's, she was starting to cower again. It was inevitable for a child like her to be traumatized over the little incident which just had happened minutes ago. Fate could only watch helplessly as Caro pushed the trolley of cleaning equipments out of the room after dismissing herself. It was evident that Caro was afraid.

It was hard to convince that little girl, into believing that she wouldn't hurt her, because after all, she was known to be a ruthless devil.

*

Fate stared out at the dull, dying and near-empty bedroom. It was all dreadfully quiet again. She fingered the tiny jewel on her nape forlornly as thoughts of her new task swiveled in her mind. Maybe it was just going to be another easy task to her to complete. She'd better finish it in the shortest time possible and hand the crystal over to the Lord.

And make sure she completes her task. Clean. She fingered the shiny jewel hanging from around her neck dolefully. In a few moments daybreak would be creeping in. She tightened the grip around the purple gem and shut her eyes in ease.

She visualized a bright place. A bright, white place filled with puffy clouds underneath. Then she pictured angels, her mind concentrating hard. It was only a few seconds before her vision blacked out.

Fate felt herself lying on a hard, concrete floor. The atmosphere was moist and there seemed to be puddles of water around her. She opened her eyes grimly, only to see herself in a dark, circularly built-in area. She released her hold from the purple jewel and managed to stand up on her own as she adjusted herself to the surrounding.

It felt a little odd. Wasn't she supposed to orb herself into Heaven?

But this dingy-looking place didn't seem like the bright Heaven she expected.

She tilted her head up to see white light seeping down from a round, wide and big opening that was tons of feet above her.

"Who the hell are you?" inquired a grouchy voice from behind.

Fate wheeled around in alert and paced a few steps back. She was entirely ridiculed at the sight of a middle-aged man with balding head. He was clad in a filthy black cloak, his eyes a shade of gray and his hair a hay of greasy brown. Fate threw him a disgusted glare.

"I'm supposed to be the one to ask you this question." She told him cautiously, tightening her fists. It couldn't be heaven at all. That man in particular was obviously a devil from the scent of blood she could detect from him.

"I'm a devil" the man said with a smirk, emphasizing his tone on the word 'devil'. "And you must be an angel" He cast her a look of interest.

It was then did it dawn on Fate that there was no longer any demon aura lingering around her. She had actually entirely forgotten about the identity she was supposed to cover up for herself. Just to make sure that the Lord's words were right, her hand moved over the top of her head. There was an icy sensation as her fingers touched the arch of a circle-shaped object. It was the halo. Her hands slowly went down to her back and she could be no more than convinced that wings were actually attached behind her shoulder. She felt like a fool to have actually not noticed those changes in her a few minutes ago.

"Frightened, eh?" the man questioned mockingly. He eyed her with further interest. Such beautiful lady, he thought. I definitely must have her.

Fate clenched her fists tightly. How dare that fellow underestimate her. He would have peed his pants if he had known her real identity. She could still read his thoughts, and that meant her powers were still in control. That man wasn't going to get even a piece of her.

"Now I can tell that you're really, really, scared" the man was saying scornfully as he took a few steps forward. "And you're not going to escape, sweetie." He broke into a sinister laugh.

He clutched her arms and leaned close to her. Thinking that he had won the game as she didn't budge an inch, he began brushing his lips against her chest. "You smell great, miss. Do all angels smell as nice as you?" His voice was irksome.

"Not all angels are like me" she responded coldly.

The man jolted suddenly, staggering a few steps backwards as he felt a sharp unbearable pain surge through his stomach. His eyes widened in terror, shifting his gaze from her to the unsightly severe wound, his arms around his stomach. Blood was gashing out from the huge hole in his tummy along with green sizzling foam.

"How did you?" he ogled at her with his face contorted in dying pain. It is impossible for an angel to possess such skill! Apprehension was gripping him and making his limbs go numb. Unless.. Unless...

"Unless she is not an angel." Fate completed his sentence for him with an unfriendly smile. The man felt a surge of adrenaline, fumbling backwards further, face pale. She can read his mind?

"Oh for devil's sake..." he shook his head with an insane laugh, cold perspiration trickling down his forehead. He wasn't going to believe that she was a devil. It is impossible for any devil to have wings! And a halo!

"Tell me who has sent you here." Fate pulled him forward by the cloak. Her soft, threatening voice sent chills down his spine as he eyeballed her in disbelief. "Or you won't be able to make it back alive from here."

"P-please, don't kill me!" the man pleaded like a shameless coward, his knees going wobbly. The thought of death made his heart frail. "It... it was the Lord who s-sent me here"

His voice turned faint and he collapsed on the ground, unable to breathe any longer. Blood continued to flow out of the growing wound. Fate kicked him aside mercilessly.

"Useless." She watched the man dissipate into thin air, engulfed in flames. She felt betrayed at the thought of the Lord dispatching another devil to the assignment. But why would the Lord send someone who couldn't even defend for himself?

A paper emerged from the palm of her hand. Alarmed, she scanned through the words written in blood, the pieces of confusion fixing itself back like a complete puzzle as she read the note.

_Don't ever use your powers in front of any angel, even if you are in the greatest danger._

The paper vanished in a split second when a loud voice echoed down. Startled, Fate gawked up. Against the brilliant white light coming down from above the towering built-in place was a figure looking down.

"Hey!" the figure shouted aloud, her voice hoarse and girly. "How come you're in the well? You okay?"

**A/N:** This story will be quite short. Perhaps 8 chapters max, which I'm half-way done with so expect fast update :)

Sorry to disappoint you PBHaru, but Nanoha won't be appearing until the next chapter. Though I must warn you all, Nanoha is nothing like her character in the anime. I think I over-changed her character a bit too much to fit into the role. Hope you guys don't mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**The Angel**

Fate tilted her head high up, straining her eyes hard to see whoever that was. The paper that just vanished had conveyed its message perfectly. The Lord was undeniably the one who sent that useless jerk to test on her. Fortunately, her identity hadn't been revealed to anyone else. If the figure above had discovered her true powers, her mission might have had been a failure from start.

"Yes, I'm okay," Fate responded aloud, her voice echoing up the towering wall. It made sense indeed. She was in heaven after all, except that she had transported herself into this strange well by mistake.

"Are you able to get out of the well?" the figure asked anxiously, worried for her safety. With much reluctance, Fate shook her head resignedly. She had zilch knowledge of flapping these wings. And the halo on her head was quite heavy. She found it a total nuisance.

"Oh, that's alright. You must be a newbie." The figure told her meekly. "It's easy to work your wings actually. Just set your mind in flying, and the wings will take you. Why don't you try?"

Ridiculous. Set her mind in flying? Fate glanced over at the pair of wings fluttering softly behind on her back. Fate never liked angels, partly because they were foolish creatures who would sacrifice themselves for others. She had heard about angels willing to go to hell for the sake for a life that was supposed to be redeemed be leased to mortal land. But angels to her were like the silliest ones on earth. She herself lived in hell. It wasn't exactly a place of flames. It sort of like a nighttime world, where demons, regardless of half or full breed, live in the form of human features.

Resistance held her back, but after much consideration, she heeded the instruction. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She wondered what a beginner was supposed to say and ask. If she was too direct in questioning the obvious to her main target in the mission, suspicions might be aroused.

She nearly lost her balance when her feet took off from the ground. She had actually levitated. She looked back with slight curious, and saw that her wings were spread wide, flapping a little back and forth. Bemused, she allowed her wings to take her higher. In a few seconds, she was flying up out of the well. Her eyes squinted in difficulty as she neared the opening round gap. The sharp white light was stinging her eyes, piercing into them.

She managed to climb over the thick border of the well, but somehow the vines inside the well had left cuts on her wings and knees. The well was too small for her wings to spread fully. She could see that she was standing above the clouds. Along the horizons of the vast clouded base was a tinge of light crimson. The sky was carroty, filled with swirls of dark orange. Like the colors of a magnificent sunset.

Her eyes remained strained as she gazed towards the direction of the unknown figure. It turned out to be a girl with short, brown hair and angelic eyes. She was dressed in silk blouse and pants and she had a funky outlook. Fate wondered if she was an angel.

"Aw, you're such a sweet looking angel!" the girl exclaimed warmly. "I am Hayate, by the way. I'm an archangel. What's your name?"

"Fate." Fate responded curtly, amused by the words 'sweet-looking angel'. Her eyes darted to the surroundings and all she saw were nothing but just mist underneath her. The place was entirely empty except for a dirty well. She was prickled in disgust.

"Oh, that is a splendid name. You must have fallen into the well, have you?" Hayate questioned curiously. "Many angels who have been here to collect water fell into the well accidentally numerous times. So did I."

Fate threw her an empty, blank stare and paused for a moment before nodding in hesitation. She was relieved at the fact that the angel hadn't suspected her for her presence in the well, or that she had actually arrived from the dark epoch. She glanced over at her pair of wings from behind, and noticed that they were now shrinking, slowly closing in.

"It's a pity the well has dried up. But nevertheless, it'll fill up the next day for sure" Hayate explained. She clutched Fate by the arm gently. "Ready to fly?"

"Where?" Fate was alarmed at Hayate's sudden request.

"To the seventh cloud. We're now in the fifth."

Upon saying this, Hayate's wings spread wide and she elevated from the ground, pulling Fate along with her. Gravity was actually non-existent when Fate was led up off the clouds beneath. She felt immensely light, like feather. She was marveled at the angel's touch as Hayate felt of irresistible warmth. She allowed the archangel to lead her up the air as they slowly proceeded through the thick puff of clouds above. When they flew through the stretch of puffy vapors, Fate saw many different angels running back and forth, pushing trolleys of what seemed like envelopes and papers.

"What are they doing?" Fate inquired curiously as they continued rising up through air.

"These angels are delivering the scripts of fate." Hayate informed in a rush. "Fates which determine the new born babies' lives."

Finally, they flew past another set of clouds and settled down, their wings flapping inwards. This time it wasn't a scene of angels running in all directions with trolleys of papers. They had reached the seventh cloud, where angels were seen taking strolls, each holding a crystal ball in hand. Fate was baffled. Now what are those? She wondered amusedly, partly expecting one of the crystal balls to be the object of her mission.

"Now these are guardian angels" Hayate said eagerly. "The crystals they are holding onto reflect the lives of the mortals they are assigned to protect. When their mortals are in danger, they make use of the crystal to help salvage their situations."

"So what are we here for?" Fate's interest towards the crystals was deepening. "Those crystals sure look mysterious."

"They are precious gemstones" Hayate notified. "Since you're new here, I have to bring you to the angel in charge of all the newbies so that you can have a proper task to start on in heaven. He should be here today, if I'm not wrong" she began nudging her way through the throngs of angels who were whispering and buzzing in excitement. Fate squeezed her way through from behind. The seventh cloud was no doubt a gigantic place. Her eyes had to remain strained for she wasn't adapted to bright light, and she hoped the angels didn't know the reason to the cause of that.

They stopped in front of a colossal building. There were two angels guarding the large door, both in warrior suits and armed with big swords. Hayate tapped one of their shoulders playfully. "Open the door for us. I have to bring this angel to the archangel for her task to be arranged."

"You will need to have an authorized angel's permission" the guard said briskly, lowering his voice. "No-one is not allowed to enter and leave without authorization."

"Oh, come on!" Hayate urged, her voice falling into a whisper. "It won't hurt anyway"

Fate raised her eyebrows as she watched the two exchange whispers. That split second, she sensed a strange, alluring aura. She swiveled in alert, her eyes gazing sharply towards a beautiful woman approaching them from behind. She was different apart from other angels. She didn't have a halo on top of her head. Instead, she shad larger, longer wings. Her eyes were a shade of deep blue, her gaze an enthralling mystery. Who is she? Fate wondered. Could she be the one she is looking for?

The guard gawked, his jaws hung loose as he discovered the presence of that woman. He froze and his shoulders went stiff.

"Oh, hey, Nanoha!" Hayate blurted out in dismay, eyeballing the guard anxiously as she wheeled around to face her. As though appalled, she quickly ushered Fate towards Nanoha. "Uh, this is Fate, our new angel around! I need to bring her to the archangel so that she can be assigned to a specific job. Can you bring us to the palace Nanoha?" She requested.

Her, an angel? Fate observed the angel carefully. The Lord says the crystal is with an angel. That means, it could be anyone in heaven, regardless of their statuses. Her eyes scanned Nanoha from head to toe cautiously. She definitely looked different apart from other angels.

The angel folded her arms and stared straight at Hayate. Her wings spread and towered for a moment before closing up gently again. "What did I say about formality, Hayate?" Her voice conveyed solid seriousness with a tin of sarcasm.

"Uh-oh." Hayate bit her lower lip and smiled awkwardly. "Alright, alright meanie. Hayate, the archangel pays her respect to the supreme angel of all angels!"

Then Nanoha rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to Fate.

"Good gracious, you'll scare the hell out of her with that stare like yours!" Hayate exclaimed as she placed her arm around Fate. "Oops! Oh no! I just said the word hell! Oh no I did it again!" she quickly placed her hands over her mouth, face blushing.

Nanoha paid no attention to Hataye's cheekiness, her eyes sternly glaring straight through Fate's. That very second unease streamed down her body. She returned an unruly glare, seemingly guarded against Nanoha. Fate couldn't read her mind at all. Fate couldn't figure out what was on her mind, it was absolutely inaccessible. Fate was starting to wonder if her disguise had failed to convince her, or whether she was just like any other women who were easily fallen to her charms.

"Hey! You're really gonna freak her out!" Hayate advanced towards her and waved in her face, breaking off the eye contact between the two. "Come on, we have to go in to see the archangel now. We have no time to waste!"

Hayate grabbed Fate's arm and strode towards the building, banging her fist on the heavy iron. "Hayate the archangel reports with Nanoha! We're here with a new angel for you!"

"That's not going to work." Nanoha told her stiffly. "He should still be sleeping by now. The archangel has deep slumbers."

Nanoha walked over dominantly, shifted Hayate aside and placed her hand on the cool iron surface of the door. A layer of silver aura spread over the surface of the entrance as an immensely heavy vibration took place like an approaching earthquake. It was so intense that they could feel the waves pounding its way up their hearts. Only Nanoha and the guards remained fixed in their positions, standing calmly where they were. The pulsation faded away a few seconds later. When Nanoha released her hand, the gigantic door slowly creaked open.

"Yay! The door's finally opened!" Hayate exclaimed gleefully. She bounced into building pulling Fate along with her. "Yuuno! Come out now!" her voice boomed across the room.

To her very much surprise, the room didn't turn out to be as big as she thought it would be. From external, it resembled a titanic palace, yet when one steps into the building, everything appeared small. Tiny. Like an ordinary hut. As Fate followed behind the hyperactive Hayate, she noticed mysterious colossal portraits of angels hung around the walls. Porcelains, treasures, gifts and books filled up the place. Fate saw strings of glittering diamonds filling the low ceiling. From the tips of some diamonds dangled crystal balls which swiveled in the air.

"What are those?" Fate asked, looking up. Any crystal in sight and there would be an urge for her to probe.

"The archangel fancies crystal-like stuffs" Hayate explained with a shrug. "Beats me why."

The archangel's bed was empty. Hayate looked high and low, her wings fluttering anxiously. "Now where the devil is he?"

At once Hayate froze in horror and dread, realizing her mistake of mentioning the word 'devil'. She knew what the consequences of doing so meant, especially in front of Nanoha. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her entire body. "Oh my dog" she panicked. She could feel Nanoha's stare on her and picture her eyes glowing red in anger.

Fate raised her eyebrows as she caught Hayate's thoughts. What has the word 'devil' got to do with Nanoha?

"Oh no, please don't be mad Nanoha! I promise I'll never say that word again!" Hayate plead, tugging onto Nanoha's arm.

Fate glanced over at the angel. Nanoha stayed composed and calm like nothing had happened. She studied her face and sensed an advancing wrath. A few seconds later, the fury subsided. "Now where is the archangel?" Nanoha asked, ignoring Hayate's puppy eyes.

"Mmm?" Hayate slowly stood up, her hands over her head. She blinked innocently at Nanoha in bewilderment. She's actually not angry?

"I guess he must be having his lazy naps again!" Hayate resumed back to her usual self as she spun around towards the comfy big bed in the room. A grin found its way up her face. With a dash, she hopped onto the bed and started smacking the bed sheet playfully. "I know you're here! Wake up now!"

Slowly, a man in white PJ came into view. A moment ago, the bed was empty. Now he was lying on the bed, soundly asleep and snoring away loudly. His wings spread and receded as he breathed in and out, like he was having a sweet dream. Hayate continued to smack his face as she knelt by him, whacking him furiously. "Wake up, Yuuno! Wake up! A new angel needs your assistance!"

However, all those beatings were to no avail.

"A PRETTY ANGEL IS HERE FOR YOU!" she was practically screaming into his ears.

Instantly the archangel shot up from his bed like he had got fire on his pants. "Where?" he asked, yawning noisily.

"Aw, you're sucha lousy archangel! Trust God to give you this important position!" Hayate placed her hands on her hips angrily.

Yuuno mopped his eyes tiredly as he took a look around him. When his eyes rested on Fate, his halo sparkled brightly. "A new angel!" he cried out happily. "And not forgetting a pretty one!"

Fate chucked him a nasty stare. Surely an angel shouldn't behave like this, she thought wryly.. She advanced towards him and took a little bow. "I'm Fate. It'll be greatly appreciated if you guide me along here in heaven."

"Oh, that's easy feat" Yuuno swung his legs off the bed. He was now clad in white cloak, his hair no longer messy but stylishly waxed in a neatly messed up order. As he observed Fate, his eyes glittered in excitement. "Aw, you're such a lovely angel!" He proceeded forward to give her a friendly hug.

A hand stuck out between Yuuno and her all of a sudden. "Mind your manners" Nanoha's icy voice boomed.

Yuuno chuckled. "I have only intended a friendship hug. I do that to all angels I meet, my dear fellow angel. I don't see you having any problems before."

Fate glanced over at Nanoha, a feeling of uncertainty filling her in. Thoughts were running around in her mind. There were so many unsolved mysteries to find. Maybe the crystal is with Nanoha. Apart from other angels, she is more conservative. There must be something about her. She thought. According to the Lord, the angel I'm looking for is not any easy prey. Could she be the one? The way she looked at me.

"You're ogling..." Hayate waved a hand on front of her Nanoha.

Still, it couldn't break the stare contest between both.

"Nanoha! You haven't showed me the crystal God has trusted you with!" Yuuno grinned mischievously, grabbing Nanoha's attention "Show me!"

Realization hit Fate hard as she slowly reeled around to face Nanoha.

A/N:

Nanoha finally appeared. Hope it doesn't disappoint you guys too much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

** Fallen Angels**

"The crystal is not authorized for any forms of exhibiting" Nanoha answered in a matter-of-factly. "I will only put heaven in danger if I don't put the crystal under safe protection."

"See no touch, touch no see!" Yuuno nodded. "I just want to take a look at it, that won't definitely hurt, will it?"

Fate laid her eyes frigidly at Nanoha. The crystal. It is with her, Fate thought. She's the object of my mission.

"I am not allowed to show you the crystal." The angel's reply was strongly firm.

"Sigh, no wonder God assigned you to this assignment." Hayate folded her arms and twitched her eyebrows. "Everyone's been talking about the crystal ball nowadays. They're dying to know what's the reason behind this crystal ball, which makes it so sacred and important. I mean, what makes this gem so precious that it can put heaven at stake?"

"It's because it tells of a life of an extraordinary man" Yuuno said as a matter-of-factly. "Not everyone has learned of the truth, but the truth is, if we don't protect the crystal, someone's life will be in great danger."

"What do you mean?" Fate asked, turning towards the now smug-looking archangel. "What's all this crystal ball about?" She had asked it out of pure curiosity. The Lord only assigned her to steal the gem, not to know the truth of the gem. And to think that it would actually risk the life of someone's if she accomplished her mission.

"See, guardian angels guard their personally assigned mortals" Yuuno explained dryly. "But this gem is entirely different. It controls the life of a mortal. That mortal has hidden powers and he does not learn of it. He leads the life of an ordinary. However," he cleared his throat, "if we break the seal, the mortal is not permitted on Earth. He has to either go to hell or heaven after a period of time."

"So what if he doesn't?" Fate eyeballed him.

"Yeah, like what will happen if he doesn't?" Hayate questioned.

"Then Earth will be in chaos!" Yuuno exclaimed. He burrowed his eyebrows. "And we have to take him to heaven before someone else does, because if we don't, there is a high possibility that someone else.."

"Enough." Nanoha cut in. "An ordinary angel doesn't need to know too much information."

"Well, at least I have the rights to know the truth" Fate glared at her.

"Oh, come on guys, break it off" Hayate groaned. "It's not like the truth hurts, right?"

"Of course it doesn't" Yuuno chirped, ignoring Nanoha's stare. "As I say, if we don't bring the mortal over to heaven in the nick of time, others will snatch him before we do. And as a result, the mortal's life might be in danger, for his immortality could be lost and used by someone else of a dangerously powerful position. That's why keeping the seal of the crystal is very important else it will lead to serious damage."

"And I know that that the predator of this crystal could be just right at the bottom border of Earth." Hayate nodded. "That will spell trouble! Oh no!"

Uneasiness stirred up in her heart upon those words. Fate attempted to keep her cool, for fear her identity might be exposed before she could even complete her mission. This was no ordinary task the Lord had given. It would only mean the end of her if she failed to complete it, and then all would be lost. "Are they able to distinguish devils from angels?" the question popped out of her mind for several times. Nanoha didn't look pleased with her, her strangeness and aloofness made her such a mysterious person. Or had she found out about Fate? Yet despite all these unanswered questions, Fate knew one thing for sure.

They know that someone else from hell is trying to steal the gem.

"Hey, you okay?" Hayate's voice broke Fate off her train of thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

"Mm, nothing much, really." Fate managed a cool front. "I was just thinking about the crystal ball you've mentioned, that's all."

"Oh, gee" Yuuno laughed. "Don't worry, with Nanoha the superior angel to guard the gem, who can take it away from her?" He broke into a sneer. "Especially when she's so stingy, keeping the crystal ball all to herself."

Nanoha shot him a glare. "You have yet to assign this angel her task."

"Ah, yes. You're right. I've completely forgotten about that! Oh, silly me." Yuuno scratched his head. "Hang on a while. I'm going upstairs to get the records for you." He gave a broad, comforting smile before heading up the wooden stairs and disappearing from a corner. Hayate plopped down on a cushion sofa and gave a little yawn. She played with the crystal ornaments dangling from the ceilings, her wings flapping inward and outward gently.

Fate took a one-second glance at Nanoha. She wondered where Nanoha could have kept the crystal ball. Perhaps, in her pockets? Inside her large cloak? She grunted silently. She needed a way to get the gem. Yet what could she do when Nanoha's attitude just puts her off? She was obviously a hardcore person like herself, too difficult to get at. She needed the time to think.

"This is the first time I've been to this room" Hayate admitted. "I always thought it was a huge place. But it actually turned out to be so crammed!"

Fate returned her a blank look, then turned to the bookshelf. She ran her fingers across the spines of the books, scanning through the titles. The bookcase may look small, but it appeared that there were millions of books stuffed side by side, all nearly the depth of only five millimeters. They weren't even as thick as her finger. Subconsciously, she pulled out one of the books carefully, withdrawing it from the shelf. To her amaze, from a thickness of only five millimeters, it was slowly widening to more than a length of three fingers as she pulled it out of that tiny gap.

The book was now in her hands, heavy and extremely thick like a dictionary. Fate blew the dust off the surface of its cover. The title read, "Different Transportations to Heaven from Earth".

"Hey, what's that?" Hayate sprinted off the couch and looked over Fate's shoulder. "Oh, cool, it's a book on transportations to Earth!"

"The archangel didn't say you're allowed to touch anything in his room" Nanoha said bluntly, standing across the room with her arms folded.

"But he didn't say we can't touch it anyway." Fate sneered at her. She flipped to the first page, ignoring the frosty glare from the angry angel.

"Transportation to a guardian angel's mortal's place." Hayate read out the first sentence. "This method of transport takes you to the place of the mortal you're protecting. Do this in a deserted area alone. First, you draw an imaginary circle on your palm" she followed the instruction playfully. "Then say"

Nanoha tried to snatch the book, but with resistance from Fate, the page tore into half. "What on heaven do you think you were doing" Yuuno's voice floated from upstairs as he climbed down to the first floor. He was apparently alarmed to see that one of the books had been taken off the shelf without permission.

"Abracadabra!" Hayate finished reading the sentence from the book. Little did she know, what she said had just triggered a spell.

The book flew out of her hands at once as a strong gust of wind swept the room. Fate reached out for the book, but all she got was half a paper, the torn out page. She could feel her whole body lifting up from the ground, and her surroundings were beginning to change into a messy white stir. She winced around for the rest, realizing that everyone was levitating from the ground at the same time. Everything happened too fast, it was like they were sucked into a fast spinning tornado, caught up in the fatal wind. What's going on? She looked around anxiously.

Fate tried flapping her wings but to no avail. She could feel herself spinning in circles along with the direction of the wind, and down a what-seemed-like endless pit. For a moment, she thought she saw specks of shiny rainbow particles meters away below her.

"Oh my dog!" she could hear Yuuno's voice from a distance.

"Stay calm." Fate heard someone say. It was an assuring, low voice. A firm, warm hand took hers and she resisted in alarm, until she realized that it belonged to Nanoha's. Nanoha's breath was so close to her ear, she nearly froze. Her surroundings were now nothing but a complete shade of white. "You're not going anywhere."

A few seconds later, the upheaval died down, leaving Yuuno's room back to its normal state. The book was laying propped open on the floor, half its page missing.

The foursome was nowhere to be seen.

*

Fate winced as her forehead slammed right against Nanoha's. She was lying on top of Nanoha, her mind still spiraling in circles. 'Now where the heck are we' she thought angrily, and her eyes met Nanoha, just inches away and Nanoha was staring back at her, gaze penetrating through hers. Immediately she sat up straight and got up awkwardly. They were so close just now.

"Ouch." Hayate scratched her back in pain. She was sitting at a corner of the room. Yuuno, on the other hand, was lying on her laps, face down. Irritated, he got up and brushed off the dust on his cloak. He looked absolutely annoyed.

"Who was the one who took a book from my shelf?" he questioned in fury.

"Me." Fate replied dryly, evidently not aware of the importance of his question. "I was the one who took it. But Hayate was the one who did the reading."

"Hayate?" Yuuno groaned, slowly shifting his eyes towards the playful archangel sitting by the corner. "Do you know what you've done? This is not funny at all."

"I was just testing the spell, for fun?" Hayate stuck out her tongue in response. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I mean like, what was I doing!" she smacked her forehead.

"We're in deep soup now. We have to get back to heaven!" Yuuno threw his arms about. "What was the spell you just said?"

"Um, transportation to a mortals' room?" Hayate ogled her eyes at him, her face now turning redder than ever.

"We have to get back to heaven as soon as possible." Nanoha said impatiently. "The existence of the crystal ball on Earth has alerted the others. Now that the seal is broken, we have to find him as soon as possible."

"WHAT?" Yuuno looked like he was going to faint. "Why did that happen?!"

"It's the rule. Once the gem is brought down to Earth, it loses its seal. We have to bring him back to heaven with us, as soon as possible."

Fate's heart tied into an uneasy knot. How could she have made such an unearthly mistake? The Lord wasn't going to forgive her for this, now that she had landed herself in such trouble. Her mission was over.

A/N

I also love the cheeky Hayate, although her characteristics doesn't resemble much to those in the anime either.

Enjoy :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

**Her Sanity**

"Now where is he?" Yuuno sat between the stacks of documents and papers on the sofa. Books, newspapers, magazines and junk foods littered the living room. "This is such a pathetic house. There's no television, no telephone! Is he so poor to that extent?"

"Um, there's a computer" Hayate said, pointing out.

"That doesn't mean anything. Anyway that computer looks too old and outdated. It doesn't even look like it's a Pentium one."

"How are we going to find him?" Fate asked, standing on the torn-out books. "I'm sure there's a way."

"I'll check." Nanoha pressed a finger to her temple and closed her eyes, doing a mind research. When she opened her eyes, her pupils glowed like sapphire crystals, as if there was a source of unreadable information present in those soulful eyes. "He's at the university."

.

The lazy twenty-one-year-old Chrono was slumped in his chair, face tilted to one side, book held to his face. He jerked awake when his classmate nudged him in his ribs. Chrono rubbed his eyes and yawned aloud. He caught the librarian's pair of vicious eyes staring back at him and immediately went back to his book. The majestic library at the university was as usual packed with very few people in the afternoon. As a penniless boy with only academic results to rely on for the future, he had struggled to stay up late every night to study and revise with his fellow classmate in the library straight after lessons daily. It was a very usual routine.

Never will he realize that his very typical, boring life was going to get interesting.

As he was busy reading his text, he felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up and saw an adorable girl standing beside him, beaming excitedly at him, her pair of big round eyes ogling at him. "I need your help. Can you come over for a minute?" she asked. Chrono had never noticed this girl around the library yet he blushed at the sight of her. Never had he ever been approached by a girl for help.

"Uh"

"Come on!" the girl pulled him up from his chair and dragged him to a corner of the library. Chrono wondered what she was up to. She led him into the middle of two towering bookshelves where a group of tall smart-looking people stood dressed formally in stark white. Chrono somehow looked aghast at the sight of their odd dressing. He could not help feeling that something ominous was in store for him. The interested stares they gave him made him wonder if they had always been watching him. He sniggered secretly while everyone surrounded him as he stood rigid, clueless of whatever was going to happen to him.

"Any last words?" Yuuno asked with a cheeky grin.

It dawned on Chrono that something was not right. He turned to run but his legs refused to listen to him. It was as if a pair of imaginary arms was holding him back. He gasped and turned to the ones dressed in white. "Who are you?" he sounded terrified.

"We have no time to explain."

Fate stayed gravely silent, as if shocked to see Chrono. She could not believe her own eyes. He was like a replica of the Lord. How was that possible? She tried to calm herself down, although she could not help but feel bewildered and astounded by whatever was taking place in front of her. He was unbelievably an identical mortal form of the Lord. Although his innocence quite made the difference very clear.

Nanoha seized Chrono by the sleeve, ready to orb him with everyone else to heaven. Chrono struggled and tried to break free but to no avail. Fate could only stand aside and unwillingly watch Nanoha ruin her mission. If I have to make my move now, it will make things difficult for me, she thought. She was not ready for Chrono to go back to heaven yet. Not so fast. She definitely had to do something about this. She could not bear to see the entire mission go to waste. It was not that she wasn't ready to die if the mission was not accomplished, she just did not want the mission to end that easily.

As if on cue, the moment Nanoha's hand came in contact with Chrono's sleeve, she was thrown backwards with an unknown unyielding force, away from Chrono. She flew across the bookshelves at the back, causing every bookshelf in the library to fall like domino and crash to the floor. At once tension arose.

Fate stood fixed to the floor, regaining composure from the shock she had just suffered a few milliseconds ago. It was not her move. Someone else had come into the scene.

"Oh my..." Hayate panicked anxiously, shaking Chrono in the shoulders. "Chrono? What did you just do?"

Chrono's jaws hung loose. "I have no idea."

"The demons" there was fear in Yuuno's voice. "They have come."

"What?"

Before Yuuno could explain any further, a well-armored muscular demon appeared right in front of him and gave him a blow across his face. The sudden impact caused Yuuno to fly towards the other end of the library, crashing into the windows and out to the fields. Hayate screamed and hopped to the demon's back, whacking him with her fists. The demon roared upon her hits. The impact of her fists was titanic despite the look of it.

The library was in mayhem as everyone started scattering everywhere for the exit. Even the librarian was screaming hysterically, desperate to escape. Chrono stood rigid as he watched the bookshelves collapse and crash to the floor, one by one. He gulped. What on Earth are all these people?

"This must be a dream" Chrono pinched himself. "I'm getting out of here."

"No you're aren't." another demon appeared and snarled from behind. Chrono felt the hair on his back stand at its ends. "You're going to hell with me. Right after I get that gem."

Fate stood aside, speechless upon the demon's words. Wasn't that supposed to be her job? What was the Lord doing? He actually had all this planned? She watched as the demon approached Nanoha on his own, on his way to steal the gem. She could not believe he was going to do that. It was supposed to be her mission. Her very own mission. She was not going to let him ruin her.

"You better give up now" the demon chuckled as he hauled Nanoha in midair, grabbing her by the collar. "Angels like you are useless."

Fate focused her mind. Her eyes immediately turned blood-red, veins around her pupils protruding as she placed her fingers on her temples to concentrate for an attack at the demon. Before she summoned her move, Nanoha had given her enemy a hard kick, sending the demon crashing upwards through the ceiling. Nanoha swept off the dust on his white coat, a cool look remained on her face. It dawned on Fate that Nanoha was no simple angel. How could she have been so silly? Nanoha was not as weak as she had expected after all.

"We have to protect Chrono" Nanoha said before the demon orbed behind her, ready for another blow, another attempt to steal her property.

Fate gasped at the presence of the demon, "No!" The demon behind Nanoha instantly burst into black goo, his intestinal juice splattering everywhere, staining the angels' clothes.

"How did you do that?" Hayate ogled at Fate in amazement after she had knocked out the demon on her own using her fists. "That's so cool. I never knew you're so strong!"

"I've been training my powers before I officially became an angel" Fate responded quickly, for fear that her identity would be exposed in no time. She cracked a weak smile. "Training, really."

Nanoha chucked her an icy glare. Fate felt a chill down her spine. For the first time ever, there was someone who would actually look at her with those pair of eyes besides the Lord. She felt shaky, her inner feelings fighting against overwhelming emotional torture under those pair of powerful eyes. Could Nanoha have found out her identity? Was she going to kill her now? "Save your power for the last" Nanoha told her and at once, a huge rock seemed to have lifted from her chest. She thought Nanoha was going to expose her for good. Fate had not realized that she had just saved Nanoha's life unintentionally. Her action of preventing someone else from stealing that gem had actually inversely helped Nanoha.

"What now?" Yuuno groaned, pieces of shattered glasses scattered everywhere around his body. He grabbed Chrono and a pair of handcuffs appeared around Chrono's wrists. "The demons have invaded. Now we cannot go back to heaven through orbing. We have lost the ability to do so."

"What?" Hayate squealed. "Why?"

"It's the rule. What happens to angels who cause mayhem on Earth? They are not allowed to go back to heaven." Yuuno explained composedly. "But there's an alternate way, I'm just not sure of it yet. We must go back by tonight or else we will lose our powers, completely for good."

"But...but isn't Nanoha supposed to protect the crystal?"

"The seal is broken" Nanoha said patiently. "I can hear the cops coming. We gotta go. I'll explain the rest of the details."

"Where?" the innocent Chrono had no idea what was going on. What has all this got to do with me? He thought. I am just a pathetic penniless guy wanting to lead a peaceful life after graduating from the university! Before he was allowed for another word, he was actually orbed back to his apartment, in the living room. He slipped on the books and fell flat to the floor, yelping in pain. "What the hell is going on?" he mumbled. "Who are you? Don't tell me you are angels?"

"Yes, we are" Fate said coldly. She had to tell herself not to take Chrono for the Lord despite the astounding similarities. Chrono was just a different person from the Lord. He was more of clumsy and innocent. He was not the Lord.

Chrono stood up slowly, face contorted in pain and disbelief. "You gotta be kidding! Please uncuff me, now!"

"You're going to die if you don't follow us" Hayate told him. "The demons want you for your power. They are going to bring you to hell. We want to save you and bring you to heaven. So you listen to us. Get it?"

"Why me?" Chrono felt an ugly uneasy twist in his stomach. "What are you talking about?"

"You have hidden powers" Nanoha said. "Shut up now and listen."

"Unhidden powers?" Chrono frowned. "But"

"I've checked. The portal to heaven is the door to the ladies in a pub called A." Yuuno explained, matrix words and digits moving randomly in his pupils. "The destination of gate changes if we don't get there by tomorrow noon, 12."

"We gotta get there now?"

"As quickly as possible!" Hayate said eagerly, hopping around madly. "I don't want to lose my powers!"

"You guys are mad" Chrono rubbed his forehead. "I must be dreaming, really"

"You're left with no choice but to cooperate with us" Fate hissed softly, fed up of everything. First she had screwed her mission, now she was on her way to death because she had totally blown off the chance to strike after what happened in the library. Her necklace twinkled in Chrono's eyes. She grabbed him by his neck, her fingernails threatening to protrude as she stared close to him, close enough to feel his breath. She let go of him at once when a shuddering feeling struck her. What was she doing? She was actually tempted to kill him when she felt his heavy breath. How could she be feeling this way? Was she losing it?

Beads of perspiration formed around her forehead. Her eyes glowed red for a split second. She touched her forehead, the devil inside her threatening to take over. She was supposed to be experienced and careful of her every own move. Now she was losing it by trying to commit a stupid mistake. She was going to be ruined because of this stupid miserable pathetic mission. How hard was it for her to snatch that crystal from Nanoha? It was easy. She could have asked the other demons for help when she was in the library, but she had completely lost her mind. She was too stubborn and arrogant for herself. She wanted the credits herself. She was being too selfish and self-centred. What was she doing?

"Are you okay?" Yuuno noticed her pale face. "You don't look good."

"Of course she doesn't! She's not ready for all these!" Hayate defended Fate. "She's just a newbie, you know!"

Fate's eyes met Nanoha's. She nearly froze under those cold, emotionless pair of eyes. They seemed to penetrate hers once again, exposing her of everything. Yet those eyes, for a moment, were so alluring, so tempting. She had to stop thinking this way. It was not supposed to be like this. She had to build a wall of defense for herself, from those eyes. She must not fail her task else she would be doomed. Forever gone.

"I'm okay" Fate said in a calm tone, putting up a strong front. "I'm fine with this as long as this twerp cooperates."

"I'm Chrono, not some stupid twerp" Chrono argued. "Why should I even listen to you?"

"You saw what happened, don't you?" Nanoha questioned in fury. "Those devils are after your life, kid."

Hayate and Yuuno seemed to have lost their breath upon those words. Nanoha had said the forbidden word herself. Devil.

Fate could hear Nanoha's thoughts. She swallowed hard as those thoughts were transmitted to her own mind in Hayate's very own voice, very shaky, nervous voice: _The word devil always brings Nanoha painful memories. Memories of how the legendary devil killed her father. Nanoha never mentioned the word ever again after the death of her father. Her mother had died long ago when trying to protect the sealed crystal, and after her father left her, she had changed. She had changed into a completely different person, a person who no longer bothered to smile, to laugh, to even tolerate the slightest joke. Now it was her turn to protect the gem. It brought her scarred memories, but she went on to protect the crystal despite the risk and painful past._

It was too much for her to take. Fate's face turned paler as Hayate's thoughts ran through her mind suffocating her emotionally. She tried to stop those thoughts from flowing in but it was of no use.

_Nanoha never felt love since then,_ the thoughts continued to be voiced out in her mind though unintended.

Fate was never loved by anyone.

_She became her own friend and trusted no other_

Fate lived for the sake of herself. She trusted only herself and relied only on herself.

_She was never..._

"Stop, stop it!" Fate finally shrieked, her mind threatening to burst. She screamed as her arms were caught firmly in place.

She had never been loved by anyone else.

"Fate!" Nanoha called out her name, tightening her grip around Fate's arms. "Stay calm! Stop shouting!"

She always wanted real parents. So what if she was created into this world without parents? She was just like any other human being even if she was a demon.

"Fate, get a grip!" Nanoha's voice echoed into her mind. When Nanoha eyes met hers, she felt as if she had just lost her sanity. The devil inside her was desperate to get out. To reveal. She continued screaming, her legs kicking about, the veins on her wrists protruding, blood circulation speeding up. Nanoha placed his hands on her face, trying to calm her down using her mind power, but Nanoha had been thrown back across the floor when Fate pushed her away aggressively.

"Please, don't come out. Not at this point of time" Fate pleaded silently. "Don't expose me now"

Her brain hurt as if needles were slicing itself one by one into her head. Finally, she fell forward and threw up blood, her eyes glowing red for another split second. The purple jewel on her nape twinkled. She laid half-conscious on the floor as her emotions calmed down seconds later. Her face was glazed with sweat, her eyes staring onto the ceiling, heart still thumping from absolute distress. She could not forget those eyes. Nanoha's eyes.

She was the one who killed her father.

A/N:

Enjoy :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**Demon Outbreak**

"We have to protect Chrono at all costs" Yuuno said against the loud music as they entered the sleazy pub. He stared at his surroundings. People were grinding their sweaty bodies against each other at the dance floor and couples were seen embracing and smooching at the corners. It was quite a chaotic sight. But they could see that the pub posed no threat or danger. They were just ordinary human beings mingling together. The troop pushed their way through the swarm of strangers, in search for the gate.

Fate was still feeling nauseous and giddy. The truth was too sudden for her, she didn't know what she was supposed to do. She had never realized the cause of the feeling of hesitation whenever she saw Nanoha, but now she did. The truth was like a sharp shard jabbing into her heart abruptly, bringing the flow of painful memories back to her mind. She never liked reminiscing the painstaking accounts of her missions. She wasn't born a natural devil. She was made a vicious devil. She might be merciless, but she had a heart. A compassionate heart of a human.

She remembered her baby days. She had a very strong and vivid memory even as a two-year-old, because she wasn't ordinary. But memories of her parents were vague. The Lord told her that her parents were famous for their power. They were capable of quick assassination, well-known to have had slay angels of the highest ranks. He told her that she would have to become like them if she was going to live a better life. He taught her how to kill and how to hide her emotions well.

But at this point of time, most of what had been taught to her in her demonic days were temporarily gone. All she had was guilt and remorse. She felt shame, because she couldn't bear to see the kin of the people she had killed. She felt pain, because she herself had always hated the fact that her parents were killed. She had sworn to kill and avenge for her parents, but the murderer was already dead. There was no point in avenging anymore. Even so, she carried on learning to become the legendary devil. What would Nanoha do if she were to find out that Fate was the one who killed her father? Would she hate her? Would Fate allow her to take her avenge and die? A mixture of emotions stirred her now fragile heart.

She glanced at Nanoha's back as she trailed behind the troop. She could not help but admire those perfect curves of Nanoha's body. Nanoha characters made her appear superior. Fate didn't know what could explain this weird phenomenon she was experiencing, but she could feel the security and assurance Nanoha gave her when she grabbed her to calm her down that very day. Sometimes she wondered what made Nanoha such a strong person. Maybe, she was just like her. Maybe, she was a good person after all.

But Nanoha's eyes still haunted her. In order to complete a certain mission, Fate had murdered her father. She could remember Nanoha's father, he was a loving dad and faithful archangel. Killing him was not easy. She had always been cold-hearted and never liked seeing anyone escape from her claws. It gave her satisfaction whenever she completed an assignment. She saw her father as a good man, but she detached herself from all emotions to kill him. As she grew older, she realized that the Lord was most probably just using her as a scapegoat, to help him achieve everything he wanted.

She was trained to be heartless and emotionless since young, and have had seen and slay all kinds of people in her life. But having to kill these angels gave her second thoughts. She could not understand why, but it gave her the chills whenever she got too close with Nanoha. Perhaps Nanoha's eyes were just too much of a resemblance to her father.

In the pub, Fate's pupils glowed crimson. The demons' presence was overwhelming, but she could not see any of them with her naked eyes. She could feel their existence as she squeezed through the crowd. She could smell blood. But she decided to be mum about it. Looking at the helpless Chrono, she could not help but wonder if he was really the Lord. They looked shockingly identical although their personalities told otherwise.

Fate decided that it was safer to keep her protected from all emotions. Nothing was going to be in her way if she wanted to complete this mission wholeheartedly. Her object of mission was the crystal. If she was not going to get the crystal right now, it would be over for her. The crystal was the only thing that could bring the Lord ultimate power and strength. It was the only solution to end her painful route, to grant her freedom. Even if Chrono dies, she would still have to bring the crystal to him. But how was she going to get her hands on the crystal? It seemed almost impossible without any means of violence. She had to forget her past and finish this mission once and for all. She figured it wouldn't be wise dealing with three angels alone, unless there was help.

Even if it meant losing her dignity, she had no choice. Her opponents were too strong. It was only one way out. She drew in a deep breath and stopped in the middle of the dance floor. The others were ahead of her, searching for the gate. It would only be now or never. She wasn't going to let them get away. Her hands shivered as she grabbed the purple jewel. She needed help.

The jewel glowed, and suddenly the atmosphere reeked of intense demonic aura. She could feel it. The demons had come to her help. Taking in another deep breath and feeling the pure demonic blood course in her veins, Fate allowed to calm herself down, to be rid of all emotions completely. Seconds later, she approached Nanoha in such an amazing speed and without hesitance, tore off her collar. Nanoha spun, aghast by her action. Everyone stared at her, round-eyed. Her eyes flashed no fear now, but she was still taken aback by those strong eyes of Nanoha. She ignored the overriding emotions and sent Nanoha a quick blow in the stomach.

Nanoha crashed to the other side of the pub, hands to her stomach. She had no time to retaliate for Fate was too fast for her to register the situation. People in the pub shrieked and started scattering in all directions.

"Fate, what are you doing?" Hayate screamed. She ran over towards Fate but was whipped off. Hayate yelled in horror, astounded by the change of features in Fate. There was a tail sticking out from Fate's back. She had ruby pupils, set blaze with anger. They were no longer the innocent eyes. Her fingernails had become sharp claws and veins protruded from the side of her eyes. She no longer looked like the Fate, the angels once knew.

"You are a demon." Yuuno said in disbelief. "Why? How did you?"

"You would prefer shutting up" Fate flicked a finger at him and he knelt down in agony, throwing out blood.

"Fate, why are you doing this to us?" Hayate whimpered. Where was that pure and beautiful angel she once knew?

"She's dangerous, get away from her, Hayate." Nanoha stepped in. She stretched out her hand, ready to send a blow at Fate, but a pair of vicious demonic arms pulled her back and threw her against a wall. There was upheaval in the pub as everyone shrieked and ran for their lives. Demons had already invaded the pub and stepped into the scene. The angels were evidently outnumbered.

"Fate, you betrayed us. I don't want to hurt you, but now that you're a demon" Yuuno clapped his hands together and stamped the floor. A series of seismic wave moved in Fate's direction, cracking up the floor under her feet. It hit her and she flew back, sliding across the bar counter with glass shattering all over the place. Demons threw themselves at Yuuno one by one, their humongous bodies piling on top of him. Struggling, he jerked his arms beneath the pile of bodies and they flew in all directions, overwhelmed by the impact of his movement.

Blood leaked from the side of Nanoha's lips. She pushed himself out of the brick wall and as she did so, a demon caught her in the neck. The demon strangled her vigorously, threatening to break her neck as Nanoha was forced deeper into the hole of the concrete wall. Choking, Nanoha flashed a menacing stare at the demon and immediately the demon collapsed onto the hard floor, melting into hot liquid. She wiped the blood off her lips and noticed Chrono hiding in a corner of the room.

Pushing demons out off her way as if they weighed like feathers, Nanoha pulled Chrono up by the collar and dragged him across the floor. Chrono trembled in shock. "Where are you bringing me to?"

"We have no time to waste. I'm not going to let you die here." Nanoha said coldly. They ran to the ladies, with Chrono following tightly behind. However, Fate had caught up with them. She flung Chrono across the dance floor and turned Nanoha around, face-to-face with her.

"Protect Chrono!" Nanoha ordered at Hayate and Yuuno before she was hauled up midair with Fate's claws sinking deep into her flesh. Fate held her up by the collar, red eyes glowing and canine teeth protruding.

"Tell me where the crystal is" Fate hissed, her nails digging deep through Nanoha's chest.

"The crystal is not with me" Nanoha said. "I don't want to hurt you."

Fate stared at her, ridiculed. "Don't try to be so saint" she scowled and tore off Nanoha's cloak. There was nothing. "Where the hell is it?"

"Don't bother looking for it" Nanoha said before pulling out Fate's claws from her chest. She grabbed Fate's wrists tightly, fresh blood from her claws dripping onto Nanoha's shoes. For an unaccountable reason, she stared at Fate. She was staring at Fate with eyes that conveyed pain, anger and disbelief. Those eyes gave Fate uncertainty. Uncertainty of whether she was going to kill Nanoha. It was because of the sudden pang of guilt that hit her. Every time she looked into those eyes, she fought not to let emotions take over her. They still reminded her of Nanoha's father.

She tried pulling away from those strong pair of hands, but she couldn't. She felt frustrated, she overlooked the amount of cuts she was inflicting on Nanoha. She was going nuts. She had a sudden urge to finish Nanoha off right now.

"You shouldn't have been a demon." Nanoha finally said, glaring at her. She tightened her grip around Fate's wrists, and it hurt. She was visibly formidable, she had powers that surpassed Fate's and strength that was of intimidation to Fate's.

Fate laughed at Nanoha's words despite the pain and torment. "Shouldn't have been? Do you think I would be saint like you and choose to lead a pathetic life of an angel?" she snarled before sinking her teeth into Nanoha's hands menacingly.

Nanoha winced, and pushed Fate away with all her force. As her teeth released, tearing a portion of flesh from Nanoha hand, she saw something glowing in the exposed injury. Sensing that she had noticed it, Nanoha tried to move away but was pulled back by Fate.

"Don't try to run away." She stared at Nanoha ferociously. "It's in your hand."

Nanoha's eyes were now burning in rage. "Stop this" she ordered, bleeding profusely from all the cuts on her body. "You don't want to do this."

Fate hissed, and dug her claws into Nanoha's hand. Nanoha yelled as smoke arose from the crystal buried in her hand. Fate's claws started to melt, but she ignored the torture. Her fingertips felt the cool crystal and she grabbed it firmly in the hole in Nanoha's hand. All of a sudden, she stopped fidgeting. She noticed the sudden anguish in Nanoha's eyes and stopped moving at once, appalled by those overwhelming eyes.

But the anguish was immediately replaced by hostility, as Nanoha curled her fingers around Fate's wrist and spun her around before she crashed to the floor, crashing to the tiles. Blood spurted out from Nanoha's hand. She knelt down over Fate and grabbed her by the neck harshly. Fate could not retaliate for a moment. She could not make budge or make the slightest movement. She clenched her teeth, her stained claws shrinking, her canine fangs reducing to their normal state. Slowly, the redness in her eyes diminished. Her face was as pale as a sheet as Nanoha's pair of strong hands suffocated her, restricting air from entering and escaping her lungs.

"I'm not going to kill you" she breathed heavily, slightly releasing her grip.

"Don't try to act like you're that angelic. Snap to reality, you know you're not like that," Fate growled. She twisted her head and a cut slashed across Nanoha's cheek immediately. Nanoha ignored the pain and disregarded the amount of blood she was losing. Fate could not bear it any longer. The insanity in her was bursting. The sight of Nanoha's ignorance to all her injuries and ridiculed her, "go on, hit me! Why aren't you taking it out on me? Here's your chance! I hit you! Aren't you supposed to punch me?"

"I'm not like that." Nanoha said, eyes still fixed on hers. It made her flinch, it made her uneasy. But she wasn't going to let Nanoha intimidate her. She wanted to see hatred in Nanoha's eyes. She wanted to see the demon in Nanoha. Nanoha couldn't be so saint, she couldn't be a real angel. She wanted Nanoha to hit her, she didn't want Nanoha to take pity on her. She couldn't bear to see Nanoha's reluctance to hit her because Nanoha was an angel. She wanted Nanoha to know the truth, to know that she deserved to be slayed and rid of in this world.

But she was a coward. She was afraid of leaking the truth. Then it came. She couldn't contain it any longer.

"I'm the one who killed your father!" she screamed hoarsely into Nanoha's eyes. "Are you going to kill me now?"

A/N:

I suck at writing action scene but I tried to provide a clear descriptive as I possibly can. Enjoy :)

Hopefully there won't be any mistyped or errors this time around, since it had been beta-checked.


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

**Chapter 8 **

**An Angel's Kiss**

**

* * *

  
**

Blood from Nanoha's chest dripped onto Fate's cheek. Nanoha's eyes fell on hers, bloodshot with astonishment and surprise.

"I killed your father" she said slowly. "So stop trying to be nice to me."

There was silence between the two of them. A few miserable seconds passed, and suddenly, Nanoha broke into a soft chortle. Fate stared at her agape, unexpected to see such a reaction from her. How could she be laughing? Why isn't she hitting her? Taking revenge on her? Isn't she supposed to hate her for killing her father?

"I guessed it" she finally said. "The first time I saw you, I noticed something wasn't right. I've seen the legendary devil kill my parents. I should have noticed the resemblance between you and her"

"How could you be so calm about this?" Fate felt frustrated. "I killed your father! Aren't you supposed to hate me?"

"I may hate you, but I'm an angel." Nanoha said firmly. "As an angel, I'm born not to hate."

"You..."

"I don't blame you for what you did, Fate" she said coarsely. "I've tried to tell myself that you killed my father because you were made to do it, not on your own will. Even if it isn't the truth, I don't hate you. Even if there is only reason I have to hate, it will be the kind of life you live in."

She stared at her, wordless.

"Being a demon isn't easy... is it? Trained to be cruel and emotionless" she continued, "why do you force yourself to do things that you don't want to? Isn't it miserable?"

Tears brimmed Fate's eyes. "Shut up!" she roared, and with all her might lifted Nanoha with both hands, pushing her away. "Stop telling me all these bullshit!"

She lunged at Nanoha and sent a blow onto her stomach but Nanoha resisted it this time, taking full impact of the assault. "Stop this" she demanded huskily, "You can always turn back. Don't push yourself to the limits."

"Shut the hell up!" she shrieked, her claws revealing once more. Her eyes burned with rage and anger as she shook Nanoha in the shoulders, vigorously tearing her sleeves apart. "I killed your father! How could you not take revenge for him? Why?"

"Stop it" Nanoha said firmly. Her eyes resembled blue orbs which flashed empathy. Fate did not need that. She did not want anyone to take pity on her. She was supposed to be the legendary devil. The one whom everyone feared and respected. Nobody was supposed to sympathize with her just because she was an orphan. She didn't need compassion from others. She wanted Nanoha to hate her and retaliate. But why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she hate her for what she had done? She had always anticipated enemies. She didn't want to receive love from others, she wanted to be devoid of love because she no longer needed it, she only wanted to stay as who she was now.

But she was going through a turmoil. Having lived for a full eighteen years, she had gone through all the obstacles and overcame hindrances to become that formidable. Many had tried to assassin her but to no avail. She was tougher than before, but the emotional barrier she built in her mind was threatening to break, to crumble now.

Even if she was a devil whom everyone despised yet yearned for, she was like a child who needed her parents' love. She might have forgotten what love was, but seeing the same torture she had implemented on Nanoha, she realized that she wasn't alone in this world. Yet, they were both different. They were angel and devil. They would never be together. It was forbidden.

She was restricted by the Lord to accept love from others. If she were to, only death would consent her desire to love and be loved. She was forbidden to tear. If she were to, she would be stripped of her status and be banished to Earth, to remain as the most pitiful soul whom nobody will ever acknowledge. It was an ordeal to remain so cold, heartless and unaffected all these years. Hell was such a detached place, nobody was allowed to learn of love.

Fate now sank her claws in Nanoha's arm, hauling Nanoha above her head. She threw her onto the floor and smashed against the tiles, wings tearing apart. Nanoha was completely covered in blood. The crystal in her arm glowed luminously as she lay restless in the deep chasm. Demons materialized around her as she leaned forward to reach out for the crystal.

Thud, thud, thud. Bang, bang, bang. A series of bizarre sounds caused Fate to freeze. The next thing she knew, her purple jewel had splintered into a million shards. Blood trickled down Fate's forehead as her ears picked up his approaching steps. Her eyes glowed blood red and her throat smoldered. She put her hands over her head as her temples throbbed terribly, her eyes squeezed shut in agony.

"You have no right to complete this task" the Lord was now hovering around her amongst the demons. "Your heart belongs not to the Lord now. You have failed to maintain the reputation of a legendary devil. Your eyes' they no longer burn with hatred. You disappoint me, Fate."

She shot the Lord a ferocious glare. The pub was now engulfed in darkness. She could not see the other angels or Chrono. Where are they? What has the Lord done to them? She could not interpret the Lord's thoughts. But she noticed anger filling his eyes. Words were stuck in her throat like a huge lump. She remained kneeling on top of Nanoha, blood dripping from her head, arms and legs. It was the punishment of disobeying the Lord. She had broken numerous rules by exposing her emotions. She had already ruined her mission in her own hands.

"Didn't I tell you not to let your emotions take control of you? You have failed terribly in that perspective, my dear. You're not fit to take the crystal." The Lord raised his hand, as the crystal slipped out of Nanoha's hand and emerged within his grasp. He clutched the gem tightly, triumph with satisfaction. "It's a mistake to entrust this mission to you. You have lost my faith, Fate. Your loyalty in me no longer lies or exists. You're better off without your existence here."

The Lord was going to kill her. It hit her hard that the Lord was manipulating her. Fate clenched her fists tightly as the Lord tightened his fingers around her neck. He was going to suck her soul out. He was going to take away her powers. The powers she had gained all these years with pain and torture. She retaliated, but it was of no use. As he lifted her from the ground, she could feel her powers draining, transferring through those hands of his that were strangling her neck.

She tried to inhale deep breathes but slowly, blood was draining out of her body. She could not scream or cry. Her vision was a haze and her mind was in a blur. Is this death? Is this the taste of death? Is she going to die in his hands? There was no use fighting back. It was pointless. She had led herself and the Lord down. She was going to sacrifice her powers and life to the Lord. But she didn't want to die that easy.

She was on the verge of tearing apart when she felt the Lord's fingers release. Instantly, she plummeted to the floor, barely conscious and miserably frail. Her face was white-washed. Her heart was beating very slowly, as if it would stop any moment.

She saw Nanoha stand on her feet and send a blow at the Lord. Her large wings enclosed the Lord and her together. Fate heard high-pitched screams and shouts of anguish. Demons surrounding her faded away into thin air. The pub emerged to view again, ripping apart the cold darkness that once surrounded her. She lay motionless on the floor, bleak and desolate.

Then Nanoha's wings shrunk back into her spines. She was hauled midair by the Lord, who skull had been broken and ripped apart. The Lord's arms were covered with blood, his veins threatening to explode. Fate crawled forward. She shook her head.

_No!_

She felt the tissues in her arm tear open as she pulled forward, sinking her canine teeth onto the Lord's neck. The Lord led out a scream of anguish, before yanking her a few feet away. Nanoha took the chance for the final blow at the Lord.

Soon, everything had come to an end.

As Nanoha turned to Fate, her face was pale and glazed with sweat. She clutched her chest, another hand holding tightly onto the crystal. She fell to her knees, and leaned close to Fate. She breathed heavily on Fate's face, blood dripping onto her body.

Fate was dying. Nothing could be done to save her anymore. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she accepted her demise. The tears scalded her cheeks like acid. It was the second time she had ever cried in her life. The first time she cried was when she was a baby. Now she was weeping, howling for her own grief. She finally allowed herself to wallow in self-pity. She allowed her feelings to roam free, to let her emotions break free. Is this what all humans do? Is this what a human feels?

Her heartbeat was decelerating. She could feel her life draining away. Her body was numb and cold. As she was about to close her eyes to ease the pain, she felt a lip upon on her own. Nanoha had placed her lips on top of hers gently and kissed her quietly. Gradually, her heart leaped faster, gaining strength and life. She could feel blood coursing through her veins quickly. The kiss gave her a sensation she had never once felt before. It was pure and fond. For the first time in her life, she thought she found how real heaven was. She realized the bliss an angel could give, an element a demon could not give or feel. Is this what an angel truly experiences?

Nanoha wiped away the acid tears that were burning her once beautiful cheeks. Nanoha was bleeding incessantly, yet she ignored the pain and tried to save Fate.

It was the angel's kiss. Nanoha had sacrificed her strength and power in order to transfer life into Fate. Why did she do that? What is her purpose of doing that? Fate could not understand. She could not read Nanoha's mind. There was no entry to Nanoha's thoughts.

Hayate, Yuuno and Chrono appeared behind Nanoha. In the midst of all this sub-consciousness, she saw Hayate and Yuuno spread their wings and enclose her and the others in them. It was filled of warmth. It melted her heart and soul. She could see wings spreading out of Chrono's backbone.

She noticed that she was lying on a pool of pastel white. Am I in heaven? She thought. Or am I dead?

Then she closed her eyes, and shut herself from the mortal world.

* * *

A twenty-three year old girl danced and skipped around jovially, her long raven black hair whipping around over her shoulder as she beamed at the crystals that surrounded the room. She was carefree and blithe. She had a face and smile well loved by everyone. She had always loved working at this place. The owner of the shop was friendly, she paid her reasonably and gave her days off on weekends. She was stress-free working at the crystal shop.

She stopped at a tall shelf, ogling at the sparkling crystals. Her eyes caught sight of her favorite crystal. It was a round orb that glowed sapphire and stark white. It had always been a familiar object to her, although her memories were of no help. Yet, looking at the crystal gave her a sense of unfathomable security. It was as if she had owned this once, or seen it before somewhere else.

She couldn't remember her past and it had been for six years. The shop owner had found her lying outside her apartment six years ago, drenched and in shreds. All these years, she tried searching for her kin but to no avail. There was no trace of memory of her kin. However, she did not hate herself for her loss of memory and she was glad to lead the life the way it was. People adored her for her optimism and sanguinity.

She spun around as the glass door opened to reveal a young girl in her mid-twenties. She stepped into the shop and glanced around. There was an air of superiority emitting from her although she was dressed only in her casuals. She was well-shaped and had a beautiful feature. Fate observed her for a while. She smiled at her as their eyes met. Those blue eyes of her delivered a sense of security. Fate wondered if she had seen her before.

She walked over to Fate and scratched her head, looking rather confused. Then she fixed her eyes on Fate's favorite crystal. For a few seconds, she just stood fixed to the floor, eyes glued to the gem as if enchanted by its beauty. Fate was in a blur. She couldn't have taken a liking to that crystal, could she? It was Fate's favorite gem of all in this shop. She had always wanted it for herself, if not for the steep cost. Yet, she could not bear to see it in someone else's hands.

"Erm..." both of them began, before they broke into a sheepish smile.

Fate felt a rush of red speckle across her cheeks. She scratched her head. "You... what are you looking for?"

The beautiful girl gave a lopsided grin and scratched her head.. "Could you show me that crystal?"

Fate frowned. "Well..." she hesitated. "It's costly."

She immediately regretted her words. "Sorry" she quickly added apologetically. "It's just that this is my favorite one here. I have a strange attachment to it" she laughed.

She smiled at her. "I'm Nanoha" she stretched out her hand before scratching her head again, "Well, actually, I've always noticed you around."

"Oh." Silence. Fate felt her face flush. She saw disappointment flicker in Nanoha's eyes, and realized that she had forgotten to acknowledge her handshake. "I'm sorry!" she quickly shook her hand, and found herself looking like a dumb dimwit.

Nanoha laughed. "its okay" she said, then stared at her shoes, not knowing how to continue.

"I'm Fate" she introduced with a big grin.

Nanoha looked up, and they both exchanged a smile. It was as if they had known each other for ages, and for an unaccountable reason, there was also a slight affection both held for each other.

So it began as a new journey opened up for the two of them. Two with the same childhood but once lived in a different world. Now they were given another chance to start all over again without having to be reminded of or daunted by the past. Nanoha forgave and forget, had chosen to save her, but lost her immortality in the end. Fate had chosen to lead a tormenting vicious life in order to achieve greater powers, but lost it all in the end.

But now the couple which lived in two different worlds was able to start anew, to be leased to the mortal world for a final chance to lead an ordinary life.

The End.

* * *

A/N:

Finally over. Sorry for the lack of romance and interaction between the two.

I think the ending was so-so, considering that I didn't want to kill one or both of all at the end. Only way to put them together is for them to be on earth. Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I'd enjoyed writing it.


End file.
